For my Inspiration Report, I created a proposal for a new collection/archive called “Indigenous Heritage Collection of Alameda County.”
The Indigenous Heritage Collection of Alameda County’s objective is to build a digital collection archiving, digitizing, documenting, and housing cultural and historical materials and artifacts from the Muwekma Ohlone Indigenous Tribe using appropriate tribal and community protocol for sharing utilizing Mukurtu Content Management System (CMS). This collection is being developed to preserve the tribe’s history and culture, giving birth to their story while giving others the ability to learn and have access to it.
I learned about Mukurtu (CMS) last semester in my INFO202 class with Professor Allison Johnson. She showed us a video showcasing the creator of the program. The video really stayed with me and when it came time for this project, I decided to utilize this “Emerging Technology” for it.
I decided to focus on my local library system (Alameda County Library) and the local Indigenous Tribe (Muwekma Ohlone Indigenous Tribe) because it felt like a project that had special meaning to me because I grew up here and because my mom’s life’s work is in this field. I spent my early years (and much of my life) exposed to the stories and culture of Native California Indigenous People, so this project seems very apropos.
Indigenous Heritage Collection of Alameda County
Hi Laurel,
Your proposal for the “Indigenous Heritage Collection of Alameda County” is admirable. By preserving the cultural and historical materials of the Muwekma Ohlone Indigenous Tribe with Mukurtu CMS, you’re ensuring their story endures. It’s inspiring to see your personal connection to this project and your dedication to preserving your community’s heritage. This initiative has the potential to make a profound impact, bridging the past with the present for future generations.
Hi @brobinson,
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment. This project definitely had a special meaning for me and I am so happy that I was able to do it! 🙂
-Laurel
@laurele This is amazing! I had not heard of Mukurtu at all and I am thrilled to learn this exists. In one of my archives class we talk frequently about the importance of cultural protocols for access to certain materials and I am so glad to see you discuss that here and that this CMS exists specifically to address that. The level of research you’ve done is impressive. I particularly like the way you’ve laid out your “Mukurtu in the Wild” section as I have been struggling with how to frame some similar content on my report and you’ve given me some ideas. Very well done!
Hi @matilda,
Thank you for the kind comments. I’m happy to hear that I was able to introduce you to an unknown technology. It is a very fascinating topic.
-Laurel
@laurele, thank you for highlighting this important work. Your report is well laid-out and very informative. My tribe, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, uses Mukurtu as a platform for learning Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo. I thought about doing my report on something like this as well, but then pivoted to something completely different! 😋
Thank you for the thoughtful comments @lauraw. This project ended up being very special to me. I am happy to hear of Mukurtu being used — and locally! 🙂 Do you know how successful the software has been for your tribe?
-Laurel
Hi @laurele,
Honestly, I feel like it could be made more visible to tribal members. The Cultural Preservation Dept. and language portal are pretty buried. Maybe by design and for good reason, but that being said, I’ve shared with my family members who are not enrolled members and it is an invaluable resource for us.
@lauraw That’s too bad. I can imagine it is hard to get people involved, unless they are really interested/have a passion for learning the language and being involved in preservation.
Hi Laurel, I’ve learned so much through reading your inspiration report. Thank you for this well researched and clear proposal – I would love to see it implemented! I was also in Professor Johnson’s course last semester and learning about Mukurtu was a highlight. It’s so cool to see your proposal bring it into action locally.